BANDAR ABBAS, Iran, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- A charter aircraft carrying American military contractors was forced to land in Iran Friday over an issue with its flight plan.
The aircraft, chartered by coalition forces in Afghanistan, took off from Bagram air base and was headed for Dubai when it was forced to land in Bandar Abbas, Iran, U.S. officials said.
Iranian air force controllers contacted the plane and instructed it to return to Afghanistan to correct its flight plan, which it said was out of date. The pilot told the Iranians the plane did not have enough fuel to return to Afghanistan, and was asked to land.
Approximately 100 Americans and several Canadians were on board the plane, which one official said was escorted by Iranian fighter jets until it landed. Other officials said the plane landed on its own, without military escort.
A new flight plan was expected to be filed quickly and the Fly Dubai-chartered plane was expected to continue to its destination.
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